


The Other World

by aamunkoitto



Series: The Other World [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Inspired by Coraline, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Multi, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-11-18 22:15:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11299932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aamunkoitto/pseuds/aamunkoitto
Summary: It’s spring break and the pack has decided to spend it at a summer cottage Derek owns. There, Stiles discovers a weird door that doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. In the night though, a tunnel opens and Stiles goes in.Coraline inspired AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Coraline inspired AU. I got mainly inspired by the movie and theories I watched from Youtube, mainly the theories from The Fangirl (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvWbc1PfHR_vIlsLzt-ZmQoW7FMKpWnWE).

 

Stiles couldn't help but gape at the mansion in front of which Derek had instructed him to park. He was sure both Scott and Kira had similar expressions on their faces. The porch alone was like from a magazine. Stiles couldn't wait to see the house from the inside.

"A little cottage?! _A little cottage?!_ Derek, I think my house could fit in this place's basement!" he freaked out and pointed an accusing finger at the house. Derek was infuriatingly passive and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't be ridiculous, Stiles", he said, rolling his eyes. "Your house wouldn't fit in the basement. It would fit in the living room", he teased, a glint in his eyes. Stiles hoped the look in his face wasn't too love-struck.

"This is freaking awesome! I bet there's enough rooms so that our luggage can have their own rooms", Scott exclaimed as he hopped out of the jeep, soon followed by Derek, Stiles and Kira. Jackson had parked his Porsche behind the jeep and he, Boyd, Erica and Lydia got out, them all stretching their hands and backs.

"This place looks much better than I had pictured", Lydia said in a slightly relieved tone. She had been a bit reluctant of coming here from the get go but with the persuasion of the rest (even Jackson had been enthusiastic about this trip in his own way) had agreed to join them. So, while their other college friends headed to the beach, they drove the other way around and drove to what used to be the home away from home for Derek's family, aka where they came regularly to spend some time with their extended family. And it truly was a place for it: nothing but forest for miles around the house with no neighbors or nosy townspeople getting all up in their business when they decided to come here to take a break. The people in the town had seemed meek and, in Stiles' opinion, kind of grey. No one had given them a second glance when they had almost emptied the little grocery store on their way to the house.

"Maybe, first let's get settled and after that light up the grill?" Boyd suggested as they all stood in front of the house stretching their limbs. Stiles had felt restless for the last hour and was glad the drive was over.

"Sounds good to me", Erica piped and popped open the Porsche's trunk. She started handing over the bags stuffed into the tiny space.

"Tell me again why we couldn't take Derek's Camaro instead of Stiles' shitty jeep?" Jackson grumbled as he was handed his bag, eliciting an offended "hey!" from Stiles.

"Because _someone_ ", Derek growled and gave Scott a pointed look, "borrowed it without asking and wrapped it around a tree". Scott looked sheepishly down to the tips of his shoes and shuffled a little on his feet.

"Well, I didn't mean to crash it!" he defended himself but got only a dark scowl in response. They each got their bags, Derek carrying the groceries in addition to his, and headed inside.

Stiles looked curiously around at the light blue themed decorations. Dust covered everything from the floor to the picture frames hanging on the walls.  The furniture at least had been covered with white sheets to protect them from the years of disuse.

He looked worriedly at Derek, whose jaw ticked once upon stepping inside. While the others rushed further in, Stiles laid a gentle hand onto Derek's shoulder. He expected it to be bitten off but instead he was granted a grateful look.

"I'll be fine, Stiles. It's just a bit overwhelming", Derek admitted quietly. Stiles gave him a comforting squeeze and followed the others up the stairs where Derek had told them most of the bedrooms were. He knew Derek needed a moment to collect himself; he didn't want his pack to see him so emotional.

It seemed Stiles was the only one without a room now, so he peeked into a couple to see how they looked. The second one didn't face east - Stiles really didn't want to wake up to the morning sun - so he picked that one. Master bedroom was obviously saved for Derek. They didn't know if Derek even wanted it, but it felt like they were imposing if one of them got the room.

Stiles hastily threw his clothes onto the bed and went to shower. He felt all kinds of gross after the drive so the cool water beating against his skin was heavenly. He changed his clothes and took his time walking the long halls back downstairs and to the backyard. Derek and Boyd were already sitting at the table there and drinking beer. The grill was warming up beside them.

"So how old is this place exactly?" Stiles asked. The interior looked like it had been renovated in recent years but from the outside it had a vibe coming all the way from the beginning of 1900s.

"I think 1850s. Or at least my father used to tell us that the house is over 150 years old. My family didn't own it at first. My ancestors bought the house when they settled into the area a decade later of when the construction work was finished. The villagers believed the house to be cursed but my family didn't sense anything wrong with it so they bought it cheap", Derek told them.

"It sure is nice", Stiles whistled and looked the huge backyard opening in front of them.

Derek nodded. "Yeah", he said quietly, and looked at the house with sad eyes.

"Must've been fun to come here every summer to spend time with your family." Stiles could picture little werewolves running around the house and yard without a care while the adults had a few drinks and relaxed because for once they didn't have to be scared for their lives.

Derek's lips quirked into a half smile.

"It was great. We should go explore the forest someday. My family loved to play chase in there and just explore. No hunter knows about this place so we're completely safe to just let go." Somewhere behind them they heard Erica starting to sing _Let It Go_. All three men groaned but Erica wasn't the least bit put off by it and started to sing louder. She had a nice voice but Stiles doubted she would be winning the American Idol anytime soon.

They had really good time making dinner and just hanging out. They'd been together like this during Christmas break, celebrating New Years in the renovated Hale house. Even Chris and Isaac had made a rare appearance then. Stiles felt content having everyone around and for once just having fun and not fighting for their lives. Even Derek seemed to be enjoying himself. The guy was smiling and sassing back at Stiles, and Stiles was so happy that he wasn't sulking in a corner. It made Stiles want to make the wolf smile more.

In the evening, they settled to play old board games in the living room. Candy bags were emptied into bowls they found from the cabinets and everyone grabbed either a beer or a glass of wine for themselves. They had a pretty good night right up until Jackson brought out Monopoly.

"No. I'm not playing that with Stiles!" Scott whined.

"What? Scotty, it's not my fault you always end up in the jail!" Stiles protested.

"Well, I don't think this is a good game for a bunch of temperamental werewolves who have short fuses", Lydia butted in. The said werewolves tried to look offended but everyone knew that she was right.

"How about poker? We could use candy as chips", Kira suggested.

"I don't know how to play poker", Erica told them,

"Me neither", Jackson confessed.

"You don't know how to play poker?" Lydia asked her boyfriend, frowning.

"I haven't been that interested in stupid card games", Jackson snapped defensively.

"We'll teach you", Kira promised and laid the cards onto the table. Stiles groaned and let himself fall down to his back onto the floor.

"It's gonna take forever", he whined, "Jackson's head is too thick to learn something like this in what? Half an hour?" He got several, painful, slaps to his thighs that forced him to crawl back from Jackson who was red like a firetruck. "Shut up, Stilinski", the wolf muttered but didn't chase Stiles to wrestle him more. Stiles had backed himself all the way across the floor and was now leaning back to the wall. He frowned at the bump behind his back and turned to take a better look at it. There hadn't been any noticeable abnormalities on the wall when they had first entered it, so how had he missed this?

"Hey, Derek. What's this?" he asked and smoothed his fingers over the wallpaper covering the bumpy wall. Derek walked over along with Lydia, who had also gotten interested in Stiles' finding.

"It feels like a little door", Stiles thought aloud. He scooted over when Derek squatted down next to him to feel the wall for himself. Derek popped a claw and started to trace the edges, cutting the wallpaper smoothly. He even uncovered a keyhole. Stiles traced the now visible lines and turned his hopeful eyes at Derek. "Key?"

Derek pondered for a moment before getting up and walking to the kitchen. He opened a few drawers until he found the one he was looking for. The drawer was full of different keys which was a bit shocking because despite the size of the house, Stiles hadn't thought that the place would have so many doors.

Derek pulled the drawer out carefully and handed it to Stiles, who gleefully returned to the tiny door and began to fit every single key to the hole. Both Lydia and Derek hoovered behind him watching. Stiles had gone through third of the keys when finally, one of them fit and the keyhole moved, snapping the door open. He held his breath when he pulled it open. The door creaked, and a chip of wallpaper flowed to the floor.

The doorway was sealed off by bricks.

"Oh fuck off!" Stiles cursed in disappointment. He could feel Derek's smug smirk in the back of his head.

"Did you know?" he asked accusingly from the older man and turned to glare at him. The bastard had no decency as he shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "I might've."

"Fuck you", Stiles said petulantly and locked the door again, giving the key back to Derek. Lydia huffed a little laugh next to them and sat back down to the couch next to Jackson. She took her laptop from the side table and started to work. Despite it being spring break, Lydia had a lot of work to do because she had overloaded on courses because 'everything's just so fascinating!'. Stiles gave the door one last wistful look before standing up and diverting his energy to teasing Jackson.

\--------

"I'm telling you, Jackson's head is simply too thick!" Stiles groaned. Jackson growled at him lowly and swept the cards down to the floor angrily.

"Like I could concentrate when there's a loud-mouthed idiot sitting next to me!"

"Maybe we should do something else", Scott suggested. He too seemed bored.

"How about hide and seek?" Kira asked hopefully. "It's such a big house, so it would be exciting."

Jackson snorted. "Childish would be a more appropriate word, in my opinion."

"And unfair", Stiles interjected and fanned his shirt pointedly. He didn't notice Derek eyeing his toned stomach discreetly. " You'll just sniff us out in a minute."

Lydia pondered it for a moment, cocking her head slightly. "Not necessarily", she said and disappeared upstairs, leaving the rest of the pack looking at each other quizzically. Soon she returned with a bunch of hex bags, and Stiles instantly understood what she was after.

"Deaton's sense blockers", he said and nodded approvingly. Those little bags would lower a werewolf's senses so that their senses were like a human's. Why Lydia had decided to bring them along, Stiles didn't know.

"It'll be more fair if you weres all wear these", Lydia said as she handed them out for everyone.

"Aww, what good is it being a werewolf if you can't cheat in hide and seek?" Erica crumpled jokingly as she put the hex bag around her neck. Jackson sneered but put his on after Lydia gave him a pointed look. They pulled straws on who should be the first seeker. Scott was the unlucky one, and looked down at his short stub of a straw sadly. Stiles imagined how his fluffy puppy ears would've drooped too if he had had any.

Scott started counting and everyone dashed to their own ways. They had agreed that no one should go outside the house even though there was a little shed in the garden and a nice hiding spot under the porch stairs.

Stiles wandered down one of the halls and to his delight found the door to the basement. It would be a good hiding place.

It was filled with things, some broken, stored there for someone to fix it, or old things that held sentimental value. How Stiles would've loved to dive in here and study every item there.

He saw a promising looking wardrobe; a perfect hiding place. He was already in there when he noticed the tiny space was already occupied.

"Stiles", Derek growled. Stiles' back was pressed tightly against Derek's chest.

"Uuh."

"Shh", Derek hissed and covered Stiles' mouth with his large palm. Stiles rolled his eyes, but kept quiet. He raised a brow to himself when Derek's other hand sneaked to rest on his hip, pressing them even closer to each other. Boy, was he glad Derek didn't have his usual sense of smell right now.

They listened as Scott opened the basement door and walked down the stairs. As his soft steps came nearer both Derek and Stiles held their breaths. Scott stopped at their hiding place and Stiles tensed further than he already was.

It felt like an hour before Scott walked away with brisk steps and Stiles and Derek could both release their breaths they had been holding. Stiles leaned back to Derek, who let his other arm down from his mouth and onto his hip.

They were the last ones to be found. 

\--------

Stiles couldn't get the door out of his mind. Where did it lead? Why was it sealed? Why was it even there? The questions plagued him until he gave up on sleeping and crept downstairs to the little door. The key had been returned to the drawer but it wasn't a hardship for Stiles to find it. It had been different from the rest with swirly patterns. It also looked older than the rest, darkened over time.

Quietly, key in hand, he shuffled to the living room and kneeled in front of the door. He fitted the key to the hole.

There was something different this time when he opened it: the lock clicked into place more sharply, the hinges no longer creaked when he opened it, and he wasn't met with tiles but a light purple glow. A tunnel opened up in front of him.

"Wow", he breathed and scooted closer, still on his knees. The tunnel was made of something soft but sturdy, and there was a bright light pushing through the cracks of another door at the end of it.

This was new. And small part of his brain was telling him not to go in but it was squished by the need to check out the weird tunnel. It was magical, that much was obvious, but was it the good kind or bad kind, he didn't know. But how bad could the magic be in a house where the Hales had been vacationing for decades until the Hale fire?

He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was there with him and stopping him from going in and satisfying his curiosity.

He crawled into the weird tunnel.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The texture of the tunnel felt like velvet, and Stiles would've rubbed his cheek against it if the situation was different.(Maybe when he returned.) The tunnel wasn't that long, and soon he peeked his head at the other end and looked around his new surroundings. It was a similar room to the one he had just come from, and he if he didn't know better, he would've thought he had circled around and ended up returning to where he had left. There was only this feeling of wrongness in his gut when he fully emerged from the tiny space. He dusted his knees and when he looked up again, he was met with familiar eyes. Eyes that he saw every time he looked into a mirror.

He jumped back with a startled shout. "Holy shit!

His other-self looked at him curiously before looking behind his legs at the now open door. Stiles counted his fingers. Only ten. It wasn't a dream.

"Derek!" his other-self shouted and Stiles panicked for a moment. Derek wouldn't ask questions before he would pin Stiles to the wall by his throat and dangle him in the air so that not even his toes touched the floor.

"Wow, hey, uhh, _me_ , I'm not here to hurt you or cause trouble, I just found the key to the door and got curious and-", he rambled, his hands raised in front of himself in a useless defense. Other-Stiles smirked and got closer to him, both of them watching each other curiously. Other-Stiles was older than him, a bit taller and muscular with longer hair and tattoos. He still wore the same style of clothing as Stiles but they looked immensely better on his other-self. He even saw a glint of an ear piercing in the dim light of the room, something he had fantasized about for a while now and gotten teased about it by Erica every time it was brought up.

Their staring contest was put to a stop when Derek walked into the room and pulled other-Stiles away from Stiles. He had a cautious look on his face but didn't attack Stiles. Maybe this Derek had better self-control than the Derek Stiles knew.

"You said you didn't have a key for that door!" other-Stiles accused other-Derek and gestured to the now open door.

"I don't! He must've opened it from the inside, wherever the hell he came from", Derek defended himself and crossed his arms on his chest, turning an accusing look to Stiles in turn.

"Hey, I just opened the door and found a tunnel! I didn't know I'd end up in another universe!" He looked his other-self up and down. "Never mind into a universe where I'm badass!" he enthused. Other-Stiles' smile grew.

"Yeah? Come 'ere, let me show you something", he beckoned him, and Stiles followed dutifully. Derek trailed behind them with his usual brooding manner, grumbling about not having signed up for spastic teenagers appearing into his living room in the middle of the night. Stiles wanted to argue that he was already old enough to drink (legally), but decided that antagonizing Derek in the middle of the night wouldn't be a smart move.

"Derek, your Grinch is showing!" other-Stiles called.

"It's not even Christmas, Stiles!" Derek grumbled back. It only made other-Stiles laugh.

Other-Stiles led them to the backyard of the house where Stiles and his friends had just hours before cooked dinner for themselves.

"Do you really have to show off your magic tricks in the middle of the night? We could just push him back where he came from and go back to sleep", Derek said unhappily as he stayed leaning onto the doorway, not stepping outside of the house.

"They are not magic tricks, Derek! Besides, you can go back to bed, you don't have to stay up with us", other-Stiles told other-Derek, who left them alone after a big yawn.

"That man, am I right? So infuriatingly lovely", other-Stiles winked and licked his lips. Stiles blushed. He had thought of Derek in that way, but never in a million years had he thought someone like Derek would see someone like him in that way.

"Oh. Oh! You aren't together in your universe", other-Stiles realized, his smile falling a bit.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's straight, what with all the girlfriends he's had", Stiles shrugged. "It's not a big deal".

Other-Stiles gave him an unimpressed look.

"It's not! Now, what are you going to show me?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Derek doesn't like me doing these things inside because I'm 'unpredictable' but I have total control so don't worry", other-Stiles told him rather smugly, and opened his palms. Little flames appeared onto them, growing a bit when other-Stiles crunched his brows together in concentration.

"Cool!" Stiles shouted and put his hands near the flames to feel the heat. He wasn't only badass in this world, he had also magic!

"I can do other things too, but this is the easiest", other-Stiles explained. Stiles was too enamored with the fact that his other-self could do something like this to really listen.

"You know, when I found out about my abilities, I read everything I could on being a spark-"

"You're a spark?" Stiles gaped. He had pestered some information out of Deaton after the man had accidentally said that Stiles might be one. (Later he denied ever saying anything of the sort; Stiles was just an ordinary human with no supernatural abilities and he had to just accept that.) Stiles knew sparks could create things just by believing in them because they had inherent magic inside of them that made it possible but that was pretty much it.

"Yeah, cool, huh? But I read that no matter what shape or form I am, I still have the spark, catch my drift?"

Stiles' brains stopped for a moment. _He_  could be a spark? He thought back to the night when he had had to complete the mountain ash ring: logically, there wasn't enough but by some miracle he had done the impossible. Only to break the circle a few minutes later.

"Really?" he asked, getting excited. His other-self smiled widely and nodded.

"We could practice? I haven't done this for long but I could show you how to get started", other-Stiles promised.

"Yeah! Let's get to it!" Stiles sat down to the grass and pulled his other-self down by his wrist.

"We have chairs, you know", his other-self chuckled but complied. Stiles didn't care, he was too impatient to get up and sit down to a chair. He wanted to get on with the lesson so he could show his new skills to the pack when he returned in the morning.

They spend the next few hours on trying to find Stiles' center and connecting him to his spark.

"I think it varies from person to person; some take more time to find the spark than others. It's no big deal", his other-self assured him. It made Stiles angry with himself. Was he actually this incapable of finding something that was _inside of him?_

"Just keep swimming, yeah?" other-Stiles winked at him. Stiles exhaled forcibly through his nose before nodding. He just needed to believe. He needed to believe that he could do it.

Staring intently at his hand, he finally managed to create a little flame in the middle of his palm. It wasn't as impressive as other-Stiles' but it was progress.

"Oh god!" he yelled enthusiastically. "This is so awesome!"

He played around with it, making it go smaller and bigger. He even managed to burn it so hot the flame turned blue.

"Very good!" other-Stiles complimented

"Now watch this!"

Stiles diminished his flame and turned to other-Stiles in time to see him plant his feet onto the ground firmly before inhaling deeply and raising his hands slowly. All the little rocks around them rose.

"Holy shit", Stiles breathed and stepped closer to one of the floating rocks. A twig snapped under his foot, startling other-Stiles. He barely had time to see the fist-sized rock heading towards his face until it conked him out cold.

\--------

Stiles was rudely shaken awake, and when he attempted to pull the covers over himself to hide from the evil person waking him up, he came up with nothing. When he groggily opened his eyes, he noticed the grass and trees, and everything came rushing back to him. In a second, he was wide awake, and sat up straight, startling Scott who had been the one shaking his shoulder.

"Dude, why were you sleeping outside?" Scott asked him while Stiles blinked around himself. He was back. But how? He frowned and touched the side of his head where the unexpected hit had struck him but found no blood or pain. His other-self was nowhere to be seen, and it was his Derek standing at the porch and looking at him and Scott with a scowl. Scott helped him up and left his hand to rest on Stiles' arm.

"Are you okay? Were you sleepwalking or...?" he left the question hanging.

"I-", Stiles started but when he looked at his friend the sentence died on his lips. "Just couldn't sleep", he said instead, which was partly true. Scott nodded with a smile and slapped his arm a few times before turning to the house. Derek was gone already.

"Kira's making pancakes, come on!" he urged and jogged back inside the house. Stiles followed him in a slower pace. He couldn't tell his friends of his finding. They wouldn't let him go back there if they knew. They would claim that he shouldn't play with it. But he needed it; he needed to learn more, needed to become more powerful so he wasn't the weak human anymore. He was sick and tired of Derek always trying to put him on desk duty while the rest ran around fighting monsters and being actually useful. He just needed to learn a little bit more from other-Stiles.

After breakfast, Derek suggested that they go run around in the forest. His family used to do it all the time, and he wanted his pack to experience the total freedom it offered. Stiles was sure he would puke pure sugar if he had to run around so soon after a delicious breakfast but seeing the tentatively hopeful look on Derek's face made him swallow his protests. It was rare for Derek to ask things for himself so the pack usually indulged him.

Once outside, they all ran off, leaving Stiles behind. Lydia was doing some work at the house so Stiles was the only human in the group. Stiles didn't mind it much, because it left him free to practise his skills without anyone paying attention to him. He wanted to be awesome when he finally decided to show off his newfound skills.

Stiles practiced some easier tricks at first but soon grew bored of them and moved to some bigger things. He was so focused on feeling the power flow inside of him that he noticed Erica storming out of nowhere only on the last second and got tackled to the forest floor so hard that all air was punched from his lungs while Jackson took a hold of one of his legs and ripped off his shoe. The wolves cackled and took off, their fast footsteps barely audible. Stiles coughed and tried to get air back in.

Somewhat recovered, Stiles started to hopple after them. "Hey, not fair!" he wheezed between coughs. The wolves were long gone so Stiles didn't really try, opting to sit down on the ground instead. Breathing was hard and his chest ached, surely bruised black and blue. He grimaced at the snickers he heard from somewhere further away from him, and held his ribs gently. He was so focused on the pain that he didn't notice someone walking up to him until their hand pressed softly to the side of his neck and leeched his pain away. From the corner of his eye he saw black veins travel up a tanned, muscular arm.

"I'm sorry for them", Derek apologized quietly. He didn't meet Stiles' eyes even when Stiles tried to make him look up.

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for you to come here with us", he continued regretfully, and Stiles hated that tone on Derek. "They're over-energized and the wolf is more prominent. It's like their wolves are high on freedom", Derek explained him. For supposedly being high, Derek had excellent control.

The foot stomps of the pack sounded all around them as Stiles caught his breath now that there was no pain. Derek was still looking at the ground.

“Dude, they’re puppies, they don’t know their strength! It’s not your fault!” 

"I'll carry you back and make Jackson give your shoe back when we return", Derek promised. It was like he didn’t even hear Stiles. Without waiting for Stiles' answer, he lifted the younger man into his arms effortlessly.

Stiles felt weak, and he hated it.

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

That night he went back in. Despite the small pain in his ribs, he felt fine and Jackson and Erica had apologized, both of them shuffling ashamedly on their feet in front of him. It was enough for Stiles to know that they regretted it, and would be more careful with him in the future. Erica had perked up after the apology, but Jackson had still been quiet, most likely angry at himself for losing control of himself. He often bragged everyone how good his control was, and what a fast learner he was. Derek's mood had lifted also, and he had dared to be a little more playful with Stiles again instead of watching him worriedly under his brows.

Stiles had made sure that everyone was tugged in bed and deep in sleep before he crept downstairs and to the kitchen. He had packed a little bag to take with, filled with things he figured he might need.

"See you in the morning", he whispered to the empty room.

This time the tunnel felt somehow longer, less soft and velvety and more like wool. He shrugged it off; maybe the tunnel changed every now and then, it was a magic tunnel after all. Who was he to judge?

Other-Stiles was already waiting for him at the other end of the tunnel, this time wearing moss green khakis and a white long-sleeved shirt with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His muscled flexed under the almost see-through fabric, and Stiles felt irrationally jealous.

"What took you so long?" other-Stiles asked him and motioned for him to hurry up and get on his feet.

"No apology for the rock nearly splitting my head open?" Stiles raised an eyebrow. Derek would be so proud.

Other-Stiles looked sheepish for a second and shrugged. "A little mishap. I told you I'm just learning!" he defended himself. "Come on now! I'm going to show you something cool!"

Other-Stiles took his hand in his and tugged him along with quick steps that he tried to match. He only stumbled a little, and he blamed that little stumble on the stupid tree stump entirely. It wasn't his fault that the forest was filled with traps like that.

After a while of walking in the hot night, Stiles smacked his dry mouth and cursed at himself for forgetting to take a water bottle with him. He was startled as a sweating bottle of water was thrust in his face.

"Thanks", he said and uncapped it, almost drinking the whole thing in one go.

"No prob", other-Stiles smiled and adjusted his backpack. "I figured we’d need something to drink, it's going to be a long night."

"What are we actually going to do?" Stiles asked. He hadn't had the breath to actually speak on the way.

"Something I need you to be quiet for", other-Stiles shushed him, took his hand and guided him even deeper into the forest, this time slower. Stiles kept looking around but didn't find anything extraordinary. Just as he was opening his mouth to say this to other-Stiles, little balls of different colored lights started to appear all around them and soon surrounded them in a little circle. Stiles had to really squint his eyes to make out the little human-shaped forms where the lights came from.

"Fairies", he whispered in wonder. One of them came closer and landed on his opened palm.

"Pretty neat, huh?" other-Stiles said proudly and puffed his chest a little bit. "They were attracted by my spark when it activated. We've been friends ever since."

Stiles watched as the fairies danced around them, their silvery voices in perfect symphony as they sung. He didn't know what the song was about but it sounded beautiful. Glowing flowers started to appear all around them as the fairies continued to sing, growing almost as tall as Stiles.

Everything was so magical and in harmony that even he felt at peace.

The flowers still swung in the gentle wind when the song was dying down and the fairies disappeared back into the forest. The sense of peace stayed in Stiles.

"That was incredible", he said to other-Stiles, who nodded at him. "All the lore I've read about fairies say that they're very uptight and rarely interact with other supernatural creatures."

Other-Stiles nodded. "You're right, but we sparks are close to nature, and our inner power resembles that of a fairy so they are attracted to us. There's some lore that the first spark got their powers from the fairies after they saved the fairy queen from a hunter's trap."

Stiles had been reading various books, many stolen from Deaton's collection he had found a couple of years back, but none of them had even touched the subject of sparks. It was nice to have a teacher that shared information with him willingly.

"Let's go, there's plenty to see still. The night is young!" other-Stiles urged him and started to walk briskly to a different direction, Stiles obediently following. It wasn't long before a lake opened before them, the water sparkling in the moonlight.

Stiles looked expectantly into the dark mist of the water. He made out some outlines moving lazily just below the surface.

"Merpeople don't really like us 'landlubbers'" other-Stiles rolled his eyes at the term, "so we need to keep our distance and be quiet. They're very accurate with their spears."

Stiles tensed. Quiet and still had never been something he could be described as, so he really needed to pay attention to being still. Other-Stiles sat down and patted the grass in invitation. Stiles blobbed down, grimacing at the loud rustling the action made. The merpeople didn't seem bothered by it and Stiles sighed in relief.

They watched as the merpeople played and splashed in the clear water. Among themselves they were peaceful and united but when an outsider dared to invade their territory, they knew no mercy.

Stiles felt other-Stiles stiffening next to him. Confused, he followed other-Stiles' line of sight to where a lone mermaid was looking at them, her eyes narrowed.

"I think it's time for us to go", other-Stiles whispered to him. Wordlessly, they backed off to the tree line on their hands and knees as not to draw attention to themselves, before standing up and walking normally. Stiles opted to just follow other-Stiles' lead because he had no idea where they were or which direction they should go.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Other-Stiles pushed Stiles' side playfully, a mischievous smirk on his face which Stiles shared.

"I still got one more surprise for you", other-Stiles told him.

"My! I feel so spoiled", Stiles put his hands over his heart and fake-swooned. "What is it? A griffin? Or maybe a goblin?" he questioned. But there wasn't a strange supernatural creature waiting for them when they neared the backyard. It was the pack - well, the other-pack - sitting at the garden table waiting for them. They all smiled when they saw him, and he felt fluttering in his stomach. He couldn't remember when was the last time his friends had been this happy to see him.

"Hi, guys!" other-Stiles greeted them, and pushed Stiles in front of himself. "Stiles wants to show you something!"

Stiles panicked and grabbed other-Stiles' arm and pulled him away from their audience.

"What are you on about? I've got nothing else to show than my body and no one wants to see that", he hissed while other-Stiles laughed. “Well, Derek would, even more if you put on a good show.”

Stiles glared at him with a blush on his cheeks.

"You've been practicing, haven't you? They wanna see what you've learned", other-Stiles told him when he had gotten over the worst of his chuckling. Stiles grimaced.

"I- I really doubt that. I can’t do anything extraordinary. I'm sure they've seen more impressive things from you."

Other-Stiles rolled his eyes at him and slapped Stiles' shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself! Of course they want to see what you're capable of, they are your best friends."

Stiles frowned. "But they really aren't. My real friends are in the _other_  other world. In my world."

“But they could be, Stiles. They could be your pack too”, other-Stiles told him. He put his arm on Stiles’ shoulder. “You could stay here. I could teach you and you could be part of this back. We’d appreciate you more than them; we’d never think of you as _weak_ , ‘cause you’re not! We’d never push you aside like they do.” The arm on Stiles’ shoulder tightened and Stiles tried not to wince in pain.

“But they’d be worried if I didn’t go back. And what about my dad? I can’t just leave him alone like that”, Stiles argued back. It was great in the other-world but it wasn’t his world. His real friends weren’t here. His real dad wasn’t here.

Other-Stiles’ eyes had lost their spark and now they were something dark. Something Stiles wished he himself didn’t have hiding inside.  It was only a second before other-Stiles smiled again and slapped Stiles’ shoulder a bit too harshly for it to be playful. “I guess you’re right. Maybe one Stiles in a universe is enough. There’d be too much awesomeness otherwise.”

Stiles nodded uneasily and smiled. He stayed back for a moment before re-joining the other-pack. Other-Scott was really excited about meeting him, of course. There was a copy of their world somewhere there. Stiles thought that Scott might be asking after Allison. It seemed that in this world either, Allison hadn’t survived past twenty. Seeing Stiles, other-Scott might have some false hope of things turning better in Stiles’ world and Stiles didn’t want to be the one to burst that bubble. But other-Scott didn’t even mention Allison and neither did anyone else. So, Stiles didn’t bring her up or ask if she had died the same way here as she had in his world. He hoped not.

Other-Erica demanded him to show them some cool tricks, tired of standing around and talking, so Stiles started out with the same trick that other-Stiles had taught him first. As his confidence in his  grew, he started to perform more daring tricks he had only tried that very same day until he had been so rudely interrupted.

The other-pack was really impressed with all the things Stiles had learned in such a short time.

"This is great, dude!" other-Scott enthused when Stiles managed to raise a huge rock from deep underground. Stiles didn't really know how that would help in a battle but still, it was a cool trick. He also did some tricks with fire, which he felt was his strongest element. The firebirds were a big hit, and the other-pack chased them playfully as Stiles made them fly around the backyard. Even other-Derek chased them along with the others, and soon, they had forgotten all about the firebirds and were in a big pile in the middle of the yard, growling and jumping on each other. It was playful at first, the puppies fighting with each other like they often did in Stiles' world.

"Hey, you better play nice", other-Stiles called, and turned to Stiles. "I think I'm going to retire now. Keep them in line for me, will 'ya?" he patted Stiles' thigh and stood to leave. The other-pack continued play-fighting for a while and everyone was having fun. Until Stiles noticed other-Derek turning to him and growling more menacingly than he had at the others. Stiles' eyes widened and his instinct to run overtook him.

Other-Derek chased him past the tree lines and when he finally reached him, he tackled Stiles to the ground, his heavy body on top of Stiles and one of his sweaty palms covering his mouth. This wasn't as playful as Stiles had originally thought.

"Now shut the fuck up and listen!" other-Derek hissed at him. "If you have even an ounce of brain in your head, you'll leave while you still can."

Stiles struggled other-Derek's hand off his mouth and panted a few breaths.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Other-Stiles, he's not what you think he is. He's not alternate you. He's something ancient. He's evil. And you just walked right into his trap."

Stiles moved his mouth but nothing came out. Could it be? But why would other-Stiles help him get more powerful? And this Derek had been acting very suspiciously from the start, glowering in the shadows like the creep he was.

"He saw you coming and he wanted you. So, he created this world to lure you in. Everything here, he controls. If you don't leave now, he will keep you here forever."

"Why should I trust you? You've been nothing but a pain since I stumbled through that door", he asked. Derek's face hardened and his fist pressed more forcefully into Stiles' chest.

"Don't believe me? Fine! I'll show you."

Stiles was dragged harshly even deeper into the forest. It felt like other-Derek was ripping his arm out of its socket and he complained all the way to wherever other-Derek was taking him. Other-Derek’s jaw ticked dangerously the whole way but he remained quiet. If this was Stiles’ Derek, he would’ve pressed him against a tree and threatened to shut him up in the most imaginative ways possible. Stiles loved a creative man.

Other-Derek dropped his hand and knelt to dig something up. It was a metal box with a little lock on it. The grossest part? Other-Derek made a cut on his forearm and dug the key from _i_ _nside of his arm_.

"It's a miracle he hasn't found out that I have this", other-Derek explained when he saw Stiles' horrified, and slightly disgusted, face.

"And my name is Theo Hale", the guy, whoever the hell he was, opened the box gently, as if afraid it would break if he touched it with any more force than was necessary. Stiles knew the look on Theo's face; the sorrowfulness his Derek let show in rare moments they shared when they were alone in Derek's apartment.

"My daughter Tara", Theo said and gave Stiles a black and white picture of a little girl smiling widely while sitting on her father's lap, her parents looking down at her fondly. It looked like it was from the early 1900s. Stiles felt a lump starting to form in his throat.

"She found the tunnel", Stiles guessed. Theo nodded solemnly. "She went missing. I looked everywhere for her. Until...", he paused, an angry scowl appearing onto his forehead, "-until that wretched door opened", he spat and shook his head. "I found her. Or so I thought. That thing tricked me and now I'm stuck."

"What is other-Stiles, exactly? Or is he a 'he' at all?" Stiles asked. What kind of creature was powerful enough to create a replica of the real world, without even stepping foot into said world, and trapping people in it? And why did he need to lure people in?

"I don't know his name, but what I do know is that he's trapped here. Has been for quite some time. I've heard the fairies whisper his name; Void. He controls this world and shapes it according to his victims' wishes so they'll want to stay here for the rest of their lives. I realized it too late that this world was a trap. He had already caught me in his web. I never saw my daughter again", he choked a sob. "I just wanted her to be safe. What kind of father am I if I can't keep my child safe?"

It was hard for Stiles, to see Derek's face so heartbroken and helpless. He hugged Theo and pressed his face in the crook of his neck, while the man mumbled incoherently. Later he realized that was how he usually comforted his Derek.

"What does he want from us? Why is he doing all this?" Stiles asked and motioned around them. The box was in its place in the ground and the key had been returned to its 'safe place'.

Theo collected himself for a moment.

"I- I-", Theo stuttered. "I think he'll eat us."

\----------------------

They didn't see Void on their way back to the house. Theo was very relieved by that. Even the house was quiet when they crept to the tunnel.

"He needs rest because maintaining this world is taking a lot out of him", he explained. “He hasn’t eaten in a long time. Me, he doesn't want as food because he needs someone to help him with his plans. Or, so far he has needed me.”

"Why don't you try to leave when he's sleeping?" Stiles asked.

"And leave Tara behind? I don't think I could do that. I don't know where he keeps her. Even if she wasn't alive anymore I would want to know that Void hasn't bound her spirit here somehow. I'll only leave this place once I know we'd both be free", Theo told him. Stiles squeezed his arm and looked at him sympathetically.

"I'll find a way to save you both", he promised. He couldn't just leave them here. Theo shook his head.

"You shouldn't risk your life for me."

Stiles snorted. "It's kind of been my job for years now; putting my life at risk for people I don't know."

Theo smiled at him ruefully. "I don't care much for myself, but I'd be eternally grateful if you'd manage to get my daughter’s spirit out of this place. There’s not much of a life left for me out there."

Stiles promised to do his best to help Tara out before crawling into the tunnel.

At the other end, Stiles stumbled out of the little door, slammed it shut behind himself and locked it for good measure before burying the key deep into his pocket.

"Scott!" he yelled. It was morning already, there should've been noise all over the place, stomping feet, a frying pan sizzling in the kitchen and a steady flow of conversation. But it was eerily quiet and Stiles' stomach dropped.

"Derek! Erica! Lydia?" he yelled for his friends while running around the house and after that, the premises. There was no sign of a single soul. His chest constricted and his breathing became labored. Panic traveled through his body and he collapsed onto his knees in the backyard. Why had he been so obsessed with the key? Why couldn't he had just stopped going there after the first visit? Why had he ever found that stupid, stupid door?!

He curled into himself and tried to breath. Everyone was gone.

And it was all his fault.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

Stiles sat in front of the little door, fiddling the key in his hands and thinking back to the day.

He had calmed down from his panic, made himself lay down for a bit before downing two glasses of water. He would’ve broken out the whisky but he needed his head clear and body alert. He had started with trying to call both Deaton and his father but there was no signal, even though he could've sworn he had had a full bar the other day. When that was a bust he had ran down to his jeep. He could've tried calling his dad again from the town, maybe look for someone who knew more about the house's history or maybe even go to the library and look if they had anything on the house there.

He had gasped in surprise and staggered back when he had popped the hood of the jeep though, and his original plan of going to the town had been thrown out of the window.

The inside of his jeep was in pristine shape: there was no duct tape in sight and all the parts looked brand new. It clearly wasn't his car.

He had slammed the hood down and rounded to the driver's side. He peered inside and noticed that the empty Starbucks cups were still in their holders, his lucky key chain still hung from the rear view mirror and the half-eaten bag of gummy bears still sat between the front seats. Even Derek's sunglasses were on the front seat where he had forgotten them when they had arrived.

The most burning question, _What the fuck was going on?_ had circled around his head as he checked the rest of the house where everything was like they were supposed to be. He had sat down on Derek's bed, scratching his head in confusion. After a bit of thinking, he came to the conclusion that he was in a yet another universe, most likely created by Void. Since he could control the first other world, why couldn't he have another? But why and how? Why would he need another copy of the house, this one made to trick Stiles into thinking he was home, and why did he lead him here? How did he control the door?

Why did he need Stiles to believe that he had taken his pack somewhere?

He had been sitting in front of the damned door for quite a while now, thinking and planning. If Void really was as powerful as Theo had described, Stiles had to trick him in order to save everyone. His skills were like simple magic tricks compared to Void’s so he couldn't just power through him like Derek would.

Hours later when he had made some plans and collected things from the house he felt like he needed (and hoped to God Void couldn't make them disappear), Stiles made the dreadful crawl through the tunnel for what he hoped was the last time. Well, second to last, because he still needed to get to the real world. It wasn't his friends who were lost but him, he was certain of that.

The tunnel didn’t glow like it previously had: now it seemed to suck all the light that had strayed in the tunnel, making it hard for Stiles to keep track for how long he had been crawling. When he finally saw the entry to the other-world, he almost hit his head on the door.

He jumped to his feet when he was out of the tunnel. Void was already waiting for him, standing in the middle of the living room where the living room table was supposed to be.

"Back again so soon, Stiles?" Void sneered. He still looked like Stiles, but now he was like some villain-version of him: there were dark circles around his eyes, his skin looked ashen and his eyes had lost their mischievous glint. Void looked like he was dying - soon.

"I know you took my friends", Stiles said. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look confident.

"And what if I did?" Void asked sweetly. His pleasant smile unnerved Stiles.

"I want them back, that's what", Stiles barked. His palms were sweaty and his knees felt like jelly under him.

"And what makes you think I'll just hand them over?" Void asked, amused.

Stiles shrugged. "Had to try, at least."

Void's one-sided smile didn't falter.

"But really. I heard you like games", Stiles quirked an evil smirk. He just had to find his inner actor and push through. A flash of interest crossed Void’s face.

"Everyone likes games. What kind of game do you have in mind?" he asked, feigning disinterest.

"A finding game", Stiles said.

"And what would you be finding, Stiles?" Void asked as if he didn't know what Stiles could possibly be looking for.

"My friends", he said, and before Void could interrupt, he added, "and Theo and Tara's souls."

A flicker of something flashed across Void's eyes and one of the corners of his mouth rose.

"What would you get if you somehow happened to win?" Void asked, raising a questioning brow. Stiles fingered the edge of his pocket nervously.

"Freedom. You let everyone go you have trapped here. Everyone."

"And what would I get if you lose?" Void asked curiously.

"Then", Stiles sighed resignedly. "Then I'll let you eat me. I won't fight back if I lose."

Void tapped his chin a couple of times.

"Deal", he extended his hand but Stiles didn't take it.

"Not so fast!" Stiles stopped him. "First I need a clue."

Void sighed dramatically. "Oohh right", he drawled.

"In each of the wonders I showed you, a piece of your victory is hidden."

Stiles looked at Void, waiting for him to continue but Void just tapped the side of his nose. "Tick tock. You have two hours."

Stiles opened his mouth to protest that two hours wasn't enough but Void had already vanished.

He had no other choice but to try and find his way back to the fairies and merpeople.

\-------------------

Stiles panicked. How could he find his friends Theo, Tara and his friends' souls in a couple of hours when he had no idea where to even begin. Walking into the forest without a plan had been stupid but at least he had found his way out of the endless corridors that Void had put up just to mess with him. 

Fucking hell, Stiles thought sighing, when an idea struck him.

He closed his eyes and imagined a thread connecting himself and Tara's soul so it would be easier to find. When he opened his eyes, a bright red, pulsating light left from his chest and to the left of him. Without a further thought he left to follow it. Only too late he realized that he should've been more careful when approaching the area.

"Fuck!" he shouted and shielded himself when the tiny fairies started attacking him from every direction. Their song was sinister, and the flora that grew was dark-shaded and vicious as it wrapped around his ankles. He kicked furiously but couldn't get himself free. He struggled getting his backpack off his back and open to get to the knife he had borrowed from the kitchen. He was glad he had ended up taking it when he had made the preparations to crawl back into this hell hole.

He slashed the flowers uncoordinately but the fairies just grew new ones with their eerie singing.

His hold on the knife loosened when one of the glowing flowers wrapped around his throat and started to strangle him. A couple vines took a hold of his ankles and started to drag him on the uneven forest floor.

His panic riddled mind didn't register at first that the stem around his throat loosened its hold just the tiniest bit, but when something cool touched his cheek his eyes snapped open. A translucent figure of a girl was kneeling next to him and holding off the flora while touching his cheek softly.

It was Tara. Tara's spirit was helping him somehow, and he needed to take advantage of it.

With newfound vigor, he reached for the knife that had fallen from his hand and cut the vines trapping him. Tara disappeared but Stiles didn't even notice it, being too busy to not get knocked down again. He knew he couldn't keep this up for long: his arms were already getting tired and the flora just kept re-growing. The fairies he had no hope hitting, because they were too small and quick to get a proper hit in. He had just started to plan a retreat when his eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny in the very center of where a big chunk of the glowing flowers sprouted.

"You have to get it", a little girl's voice whispered to him. He didn't see anyone but it didn't require a genius to know it was Tara.

"Please, save me", she pleaded. "I want my daddy."

"I'm gonna get you to your dad, sweetie. Trust me", Stiles promised. With little hesitation, he dove towards the golden thing. He cut away the vines protecting it. The flowers grew over him and enveloped him like a tight blanket.

As soon as the object, a locket, it was a locket, was safely in his sweaty and wounded fist, the fairies ceased their singing and the flowers stopped glowing. They slackened their hold around his middle and flopped to the ground, dead. The fairies were nowhere to be seen.

Stiles wiggled out from under the dead flowers and sat up, leaning back to a thick tree to catch his breath. He rubbed his neck and gently cleared his throat to ease the pain. Maybe he had been rough-housing with the pack too long because the pain was nothing compared to some of the injuries the pack had caused him over the years. Plus, killer flowers? Not the weirdest shit he had ever seen, but deadlier now that he didn't have any back up. Wolf claws would've come in handy.

When he didn't feel like he was actively dying, he opened his fist and took a closer look at the locket. It was oval shaped with little carvings adorning it. It must've cost a fortune back in the day.

Opening it, there were pictures of two familiar people: Theo and his wife. Watching their black and white faces, he felt someone press themselves against his side.

"I can go to daddy now?" the girl asked him when he turned to look at her face. She looked hopeful as she clung to the sleeve of Stiles' hoodie.

"Yeah, you can go to daddy now", Stiles confirmed and closed the locked with quiet a click. Tara disappeared again.

Stiles dusted his jeans after standing up and looked around. He walked around for a bit, gathering his bearings before settling on a direction. He now thought he knew the way to the lake and started to walk towards it briskly. He glanced worriedly at the star-filled sky, wondering how much time had he wasted already. A couple of hours wouldn't be enough if he had to fight tooth and nail against the merpeople too.

He thought back to Theo and clenched the locket tightly in his fist. He'd be damned if he gave up and stopped trying to defeat Void; he'd never stop trying, even if it cost him his life.

Tears bricked his eyes as the realization sunk in that he might not see his friends, and most importantly his dad, ever again. For years he had been balancing on the fine line between life and death, and now the universe demanded retribution.

As the lake got nearer and nearer, Stiles shook his head and forced such pessimistic thoughts out of his mind. He needed to focus. Hope was what kept him fighting, and he couldn't afford losing it. He crept closer warily, not wanting to repeat his mistake with the fairies. The water was still; too still, and Stiles didn't trust it one bit. Standing away from the shore where the clear water met land, he squinted his eyes to see better into the kingdom of the merpeople.

Suddenly, a spear shot out of the water, whirling past his head and sinking into a tree behind him with a low thunk. He didn't have time to dodge when another one was thrown at him, this time piercing straight through his leg. He screamed and collapsed to the ground onto his back, holding his injured leg. His vision was blurred by tears but he heard loud and clear the splash and wet slapping on the ground as one of the merpeople floundered towards him. He scrambled away, or tried to at least, but his injured leg just wouldn't cooperate. 

He was already prepared to die when he heard a low growl and heavy footfalls approaching them. A large figure attacked the merman viciously. He closed his eyes, and he must've blacked out because the next time he opened his eyes he was nearby the backyard of the house with only a dull pain in his leg and a warm hand on the back of his neck. Theo’s blurred form was kneeling beside him, but in his delirious mind it was his Derek. His Derek who had saved his ass many times and nursed him back to health.

His Derek who he loved but was too chicken shit to say anything about his feelings.

He reached his hand up and gently rubbed Derek's cheek with his thumb. He opened his mouth to say something but found himself to be too weak to form anything coherent. He closed his eyes, feeling safe in Derek's arms.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Stiles woke up to someone shaking his shoulders and groaned when he tried to roll away from the unpleasant person.

"Stiles. Stiles! You have to wake up! You can't give up now!" the person, Theo, was saying to him urgently. Stiles blinked his eyes open and shot upright, moaning in pain as he jostled his injured leg. He wanted to look so bad but he knew he’d just pass out if he saw it.

"You have to heal yourself", Theo commanded. Stiles gaped at him.

"Like I’d be powerful enough to heal a fucking leg! I found my spark, what, two days ago!"

Theo ran his hands through his hair and paced nervously in front of Stiles. "You have to do something to it! You have twenty minutes to get through them and you _still_ have to get past Void to the door! I told you he wouldn’t play fair, Stiles, I warned you."

Stiles’ stomach dropped at how little time he had left but it set an even deeper determination in his heart than before. It was the final stretch before finish line.

Closing his eyes, Stiles took a calming breath and pursed his lips and concentrated on the pain in his leg. He imagined the still bleeding wound. The wide _hole_ the spear must’ve left. He willed the wound in his mind closing, the torn muscles, skin and veins knitting back together.

The pain intensified, and Stiles feared he had done something that would leave his leg permanently disfigured. Fuck, he knew he couldn’t do magic this powerful. Somehow, he had made it worse, it must’ve been it.

Theo gasped. It wasn't a horrified gasp, one that people did when they saw something horrifying but something incredible, something unbelievable.

Stiles shot his eyes open and looked down at his leg. He couldn't believe his eyes, so with a trembling hand he touched his thigh and rubbed the now healed skin.

"I knew you could do it!" Theo shouted excitedly. Stiles' stomach flipped. He might not be as powerful as Void as of now but he was getting there. But was it too little too late?

He turned to Theo, them both wearing grim expressions. At that moment, Theo looked more like Derek than he ever had.

"Good luck, Stiles. We're all counting on you."

Stiles smiled ruefully.

"I'll do my best. Thanks for everything, Theo."

"Don't thank me yet. We have still one last obstacle on our way."

"Right. But I just wanted-" _Just in case we don't survive._

"You're welcome", Theo said softly, with a small smile.

They walked out of the forest and to the backyard where the other-pack stood protecting the house. The pupils of their eyes were dilated and their sharp claws were out, ready to rip into Stiles’ soft skin.

They looked feral.

Stiles might've peed himself a little.

"We can't beat them in combat", Stiles said. The odds hadn't been in his favor from the beginning but this was just ridiculous: five against two.

"We can't reason with them", Theo told him.

"We have to trap them", Stiles said, an idea already forming in his head. He slung his bag off his back and fumbled the hex bags out which he had snagged from Lydia’s bag. He opened all four of them and poured the contents into his palm.

"There's some wolfsbane in there, so if I get close enough, I could blind them momentarily. There's a basement door, I want you to go open it. I'll lead them there, run into the basement, blind them, run back out, and you lock the door after I've gotten out. Sounds simple, right?"

It wasn't simple. Not simple at all.

Stiles had underestimated how much stuff there was in the basement, so he didn't have much space to run in to keep away from the deadly claws. He threw the ingredient mix at the pack, and they started to claw the powder off their faces. He was in such a hurry to get away that he hadn’t noticed that other-Boyd had been left unaffected and the wolf managed to swipe his claws deep into Stiles’ back when he had rounded the him. He would've probably died if it wasn't for Theo who jumped in and attacked other-Boyd.

"Run!" Theo shouted at him. "Run and lock the door!"

Stiles hesitated. "But they'll tear you apart!" shouted back. His heart thundered in his chest.

"I don't care about myself!"

With teary eyes, Stiles watched as other-Boyd teared into Theo's stomach.

It was like slow-motion, how first blood drippled out and then poured over Theo's fingers as he tried to keep his intestines in. Stiles never wanted to see that kind of pain on Derek's face ever again.

Stiles turned and ran, closing and locking the basement door after himself. Boyd slammed his body against the door.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Stiles slid to the ground, dragging his wounded back on the wooden door. He deserved the pain. He deserved all the pain he was feeling.

"Fuck!" he shouted. He was supposed to _save_ Theo, not get him killed.

"Fuck", he muttered before standing up. He stumbled, still in shock, but kept going. He needed to make sure Theo didn't die for nothing. Walking back to the house, Stiles kept looking over his shoulder and being paranoid of Lydia jumping him out of nowhere. It was odd, that Void hadn’t sent other-Lydia after him among the others. Maybe Void was just getting weaker and couldn’t control so many copies at the same time anymore. Stiles hoped that was the case.

\-----------------------------------------------

The lights in the house were dim and the furniture cast ominous shadows to the walls and floors. It was like something filtered the air so that everything looked gray and washed from color.

Void stood in the middle of the living room - or what had once been a living room. The walls were black and the proportions were distorted. Stiles felt small, standing there, about to face off the last thing standing between him and his family.

“You’re tougher than I gave you credit for”, Void said. His posture wasn’t as confident as it had been when he had send Stiles to his mission impossible. It gave Stiles hope that he might have a chance now.

“I’m the wild card; you don’t know what I’m capable of until you see me in action”, Stiles snarked.

“You certainly are”, Void agreed with narrow eyes. He looked like a fox, ready to pounce on its prey. It unnerved Stiles.

Stiles took the locket from his pocket and presented it to Void. He reached his hand to take it but Stiles closed his fist. Void’s smirk turned sharper.

“You’re missing one. Theo?”

Stiles’ heart stopped and the hairs on the back of his neck rose in alarm. He had been in so much pain when he had woken up that he had forgotten all about Theo’s soul. And Theo himself had urged him to hurry forward.

He patted all his pockets and almost melted to a puddle when he felt something solid in one of his back pockets. It was something warm and rusty, and only when he presented it to Void along with the other item he realized it was a rusted knife, one used for wood carving.

Void looked irritated.

“But have you figured out where I’m keeping your precious friends?” Void asked, his lips pulled downward into a nasty pout. There was an echo to his voice, that made shivers run down Stiles’ back.

“Yeah”, he croaked uncertainly. He cleared his throat and said louder, “Yeah, I have. They’re in the basement”, Stiles said confidently. Void quirked up a brow at his statement.

“Are you certain, Stiles?” Void asked, making the last s hiss unpleasantly.

“Yes, I saw them there. Go and look”, Stiles insisted.

With a smirk, Void disappeared. As soon as he was out of sight, Stiles dashed towards the door and pressed his palm on the door with one hand, the hard-collected items clenched tightly in his other hand. He closed his eyes and willed the port lead to the real world - his world - and not to one of Void’s pocket universes.

He wrenched the door open and managed to crawl a few feet in before his ankles were grabbed and he was pulled out of the tunnel with one powerful pull, screaming. He struggled but it was in vain. In the end, Void sat on his stomach, legs on either side of his waist and hands pinning down his shoulders.

“You horrible, cheating boy!” Void screamed at his face. “You think you can trick me? Me?!”

Stiles’ eyes were as wide as they could be, watching Void’s scratched face unblinkingly.

“You want to play dirty? Let’s play dirty.”

In a blink, Void was off him and pulling him away from the door by his hair. Stiles kicked and screamed and somehow managed to make one of the paintings on the wall smash over Void’s head. Void grunted in pain and released Stiles. Stiles scrambled to his feet and raised his hands, ready to block Void’s attacks.

Void smirked at him and raised his arms slowly.

Stiles watched as the floorboards started to rip apart and the pieces fly off to the sky along with the walls. It took him a moment - a moment too long - to understand what Void was doing. The frames of the little door were already gone and the door had cracks in it when Stiles centered all his energy in protecting it. Some of the cracks got smaller for a moment but the strain was becoming too much. His insides felt like they were on fire.

He had to let go.

He gasped and collapsed onto his knees, letting go of the strings he had created to the door.

He watched as the door burst into pieces and vanished.

“You can’t escape now and your friends don’t know where you are, Stiles. They’ll stop looking for you and eventually they’ll forget you.”

Hot tears streaked down Stiles’ dirty cheeks as he listened to Void. His jaw hurt from how hard he was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were white.

“They would never stop looking for me!” Stiles shouted back.

The wind picked up.

“Are you sure? I don’t think they care enough, Stiles. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, right? If you were happy with how things were between you and your ‘friends’”, Void taunted.

Stiles bit his tongue to not lash out and give Void more ammo.

The moonlight was being blocked by dark grey clouds which hang heavy in the sky.

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance.

"Why'd you even lure me here?" Stiles asked angrily. "What do I have that you so desperately want? If you want to eat me, just do it already. I don't taste that good anyway."

"Why did I teach you to use your spark, Stiles? What did I have to gain from teaching you?"

Stiles thought back to the start, when Void had been just his teacher, someone he trusted because it had been _him_ , and who could he trust more than himself? Someone who had said the same thing as Deaton all those years ago.

 _Potential_.

Magic.

"You don't eat flesh. You eat magic! And you needed to activate my spark so you could feed off on it", Stiles realized.

"And the Hales, Theo and Tara, they were werewolves, weren't they? Supernatural creatures you could suck on", he continued and clenched the items that were still in his hand. Items that had meant everything just a moment ago were now nothing.

He still clenched them tightly in his fist before putting them into the safety of his pocket.

The trees were swaying hard in the wind, which was quickly turning into a storm.

“They were sufficient”, Void shrugged. “But they were more like appetizers. But you, _you_ , Stiles, are the main course. Your spark is so bright and potent I won’t go hungry for a long time.”

For emphasis, Void licked his lips as he looked Stiles up and down. Subconsciously, Stiles’ hand had traveled to his chest and over his heart. He grasped desperately the front of his hoodie and took a step back. Like that was going to help him.

“Any last words?” Void asked sweetly.

“Yeah!” Stiles shouted. “Not today!”

Unlike in cartoons, Void didn’t char black nor did his clothes mysteriously burn on the edges and his shoes fly off into the distance when the lighting hit him. What did happen was that Void screamed, a horrible, gurgling sound, and dropped to his knees. His veins turned black which was kind of interesting. He would have to look it up when he got home. 

While Void was down, Stiles willed the trees around them to bend and mold to his wishes. Creaking and groaning their stiff bodies wrapped around Void who was too dazed to fight back with his magic. Stiles took his chance and kneeled to the ground, both of his palms grasping the ground desperately.

He pictured the door. Every little detail of the wallpaper that was covering the details that had once been so delicately carved into it. And most importantly, he imagined it leading home, his friends waiting for him at the other end.

The door was there when he opened his eyes, and heart in his throat he opened it. Even when it was open just a sliver, Stiles knew it hadn’t worked: there was no tunnel on the other side, only the same kind of grass blades he was kneeling on.

He felt empty.

He collapsed, as if the last strings that had been holding him up were now cut off and he was let loose. He pressed his forehead onto the ground and heaved long, desperate sobs.

" _Fuck_!" he screamed.

"Fuck the Hale mansion and the town and the forest and this _fucking_ door!" He dug his nails into the dirt. It felt satisfying to destroy something.

"And fuck the other-world, and Void and- _Fuck_!"

Blood rushed loudly in his ears and furthered the feeling of loneliness that had been gnawing his heart for a while now.

He took a deep breath and lifted his head from the ground to look one last time the blasted door before Void annihilated him.

The tunnel.

The tunnel was now there in all its glory. Stiles would've kissed the door frame if he had the time.

"No!" Void screamed. It made Stiles crawl faster through the shaky tunnel.

\--------------------------

Stiles slammed the door closed behind himself and locked it for good measure. He didn’t know how long the trees would hold Void off.

"Stiles? What-", Derek's sleepy question died on his lips when he saw what was going on. Relief flooded through Stiles momentarily.

"We need to block this door!" he commanded the wolf who jumped into action and pushed the large bookcase in front of the door. Stiles slid out of the way and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What the fuck, Stiles?" Derek hissed. "What did you do?"

"Why do you immediately assume that it was I that did something?" Stiles hissed back. "It's your stupid house and stupid door!" Derek's nostrils flared but Stiles didn't have time to be considerable of his feelings; he had just escaped an evil _something_ by a hair.

"I just need to hide this!" he presented the key to Derek. "I need to hide it somewhere where no one can find it." Derek pondered for a minute, his eyes sharp on the key.

"I think I know a place. Me and Laura used to play there with our cousins." Without further explanation, Derek grabbed Stiles' arm and pulled him along. They ran to the forest, Derek obviously familiar with the path. Derek didn't slow down and he barely broke a sweat while Stiles took big gulps of air into his lungs and held his chest where his heart was beating its way out of his chest. He really should utilize the on-campus gym more.

"It's right here", Derek assured him and dragged him along despite Stiles' legs being boiled noodle.

An open field opened in front of them, a fairy ring almost in the middle of it. The forest around them was silent, like something bad was going to happen. It was almost like the animals knew there was an evil entity trying to break into the real world from another world.

"This is a bottomless well", Derek said and pointed at the center of the fairy ring. Stiles kneeled and saw that there was a wooden plank under the dirt. Derek kneeled next to him and lifted the plank, revealing a black hole. Stiles picked up a rock and dropped it down, trying to determine how deep it was.

After waiting for what must've been a few minutes without hearing the rock hit anything, Stiles deemed it deep enough and dropped the key in there, tied to another rock with a ripped piece of his shirt. Again, they listened for a moment if they would hear it hit the bottom but there was only silence. The sounds of nature returned and Stiles allowed himself to collapse and draw a big lungful of fresh, _real_ , air.

"You owe me an explanation, Stiles", Derek said next to him. Stiles would gladly tell the wolf everything as soon as his brain stopped screaming 'hallelujah'.

\--------------------------

Stiles told Derek everything he had been through while they walked back to the house. Derek listened to him patiently and Stiles was grateful for that. His mind was a mess, and someone stirring it even further wouldn't have helped.

He might’ve cried a bit when Derek pushed his phone over to him, his dad’s number ready on the screen.

“Are you sure you want to cut your vacation short there and come here to sit alone at home?” his dad asked. Stiles didn’t tell his dad what had happened and he felt like he was seven again, calling his dad to come pick him up from Scott’s house because Rafael had been drinking again and he was scared.

“…”

“I think you should sleep over this, yeah? If you still want to leave in the morning you drive home.”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Talk to you in the morning?” his voice was small and he bit the side of his fingernail as he waited for his dad to answer. He heard papers rustling in the background.

“Of course. And Stiles?”

“Mm?”

“Derek’ll take care of you. He won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Stiles blushed and looked at Derek who also was blushing and looking a bit too hard at the table.

“I know he will”, Stiles said with a small smile and laughed at the deepening blush on Derek’s cheeks.

They ended the call and Stiles was already feeling better. Maybe after a good seven hours of sleep he’d be alright. The little door was locked, blocked and the key was gone. There was no way Stiles would willingly go in there, and there was no way Void could forcefully come into the real world.

“Do you-“, Derek coughed awkwardly. “Do you want to sleep in my room?”

Stiles’ brain short-circuited.

Sleeping with Derek?

Sleeping. With Derek.

“Stiles?” Derek called. “Did I break you, Stiles?”

Stiles flailed a little and looked at Derek in wonder. Derek looked at him in the eyes and his eyes flicked down to his lips. He leaned down and Stiles’ breath hitched. Their lips touched and Stiles’ eyes fluttered closed. Derek’s stubble felt coarse against his soft skin but his lips were soft and moist.

The kiss was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Derek was the first to pull away, and Stiles chased after his lips, making Derek smile at him.

“So, sleep?” he asked. Stiles nodded stupidly, and followed Derek upstairs.

\----------------------------------

Despite having Derek in the same bed as him, Stiles still had a hard time sleeping. His mind was a jumbled mess, and his paranoia got the better of him. How could he be sure he just wasn’t in another universe Void had created?

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The wound in his leg? He should’ve died from blood loss long before Theo had even lifted him up. Trapping Void with the trees had been too easy. Void had been weak but that weak? Derek had jumped his bones the moment he had ended the call with his dad. Like Derek would be that insensitive and take advantage of him when he was vulnerable. And secondly, like Derek had the balls to actually make the first move without Stiles screaming at his face to kiss him. Scott was oblivious to that wasn't Kira but Derek was just as oblivious to Stiles having any feelings towards him. That’s why they had been dancing around each other for years now.

He eased himself out of bed and under Derek’s heavy arm which was now more suffocating than anything, and tip-toed downstairs to the garage.

He stood in front of his jeep for a moment, praying that he was wrong.

“Please, please, please…”, he begged as he popped the hood open.

There was no trace of duct tape anywhere.

 


	7. Author's note

Thank you for all of your kudos and comments, they mean a lot to me! I'm glad that you've liked this story :D

I have started writing a draft for a sequel to give Stiles a bit more happier ending, but it might take a few weeks before I'm finished with that. I have a vacation coming up soon, so I won't be writing during that time but I'll do my best to finish this up before October. I hope it's going to be worth the wait.


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